Long Time Ago Outtakes
by angelmira1982
Summary: This is a series of oneshots in the Long Time Ago universe.
1. Turn Back the Time

**TAKES PLACE AFTER THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON MOVIE**

Tony Stark had never been known as a patient person. He had endured the silence as long as he could, the quiet in the Tower deafening with the loss of-

Tony cleared his throat. Well, after things went south with Ultron, the Tower had felt empty. No one greeted him in the morning. Or talked to him throughout the day. The silence had been absolutely unbearable, and he had been desperate to hear a voice other than his own. Now it was only the second day since he had installed the new artificial intelligence, FRIDAY, in the Tower and it was even worse than the silence had been. Tony caught himself repeatedly asking for-

"Are you alright, Boss?" FRIDAY's concerned voice filtered through his workshop.

Tony's chest felt like something was squeezing his insides. FRIDAY's Irish lilt not the prim English tone he yearned to hear.

"Yeah," he whispered. He felt tired to the bone from his sleepless nights; his brain was always spinning in circles, and he felt like he couldn't breathe with all of his regrets. He was so very tired of his life.

If he could see into the future, he would never have suggested to Bruce this stupid, stupid, stupid idea of giving his J-

Tony closed his eyes with defeat.

"Mr. Stark?"

And here it was. The voice that was killing him, because it belonged to the creature that Tony couldn't bear to look at. Every time his eyes landed on Vision, Tony wanted to rip out the parts that didn't belong to him and store-

 _Anyway..._ "Yeah, buddy?" Tony stared into the eyes of the android looking for some recognition. Just a glimmer of something that Tony couldn't even name. Something that belonged to someone _other_ than Vision.

"Are you alright, S-"

Tony was proud he kept his hands at his side, but he sure knew he would have ripped out Vision's vocal cords if he had finished the question with that particular title. Luckily for Vision, something of Tony's feelings must have shown on his face, because Vision hesitated slightly, then added: "Mr. Stark."

It was obvious that Vision wanted to address Tony with the forbidden word. _Sir._ Not a living soul nor any of his creations were permitted to use that title in his Tower. Not ever, because Tony didn't need to fall to pieces in front of the Avengers or the new artificial intelligence he had designed.

"Yeah. How the adjusting to the world's working for you?" Tony was exceedingly proud his voice only conveyed mild interest, rather than the impotent resentment he felt at the android's existence.

"I am a bit confused by the situation," Vision inclined his red head. "Thank you for your concern."

"Sure, buddy. Anything you need, just stop by," Tony quickly smiled and waited patiently for the creature to float out through the wall of his workshop or the ceiling. Anywhere would do, the important part was simply that Vision leave and not the manner of his departure. Why the hell he was still in front of Tony was a mystery.

"Yes?" Tony asked, with a raised eyebrow after Vision continued to loiter in his presence. Again, Tony felt accomplished, because his tone was perfectly even, and no one could accuse him of impatience, least of all the floating android.

"I am sorry for your loss," Vision said quietly.

And wasn't _that_ a punch to the guts. Tony had hoped they would never have this conversation. He'd already lived through similar statements with the Avengers surrounding them. There was no point in repeatedly pointing out the obvious. Vision was not-

Tony cleared his throat. No matter how much his heart was shattering, he stayed steady on his feet and continued, deliberately meeting the android's eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

The blame rested entirely on Tony's shoulders. He had suggested they put the code of his dearest friend into the creature that could easily level the entire world, believing JARVIS's goodness would prevent the being from burning everything to the ground. He'd made a mess of things. He had practically sacrificed his JARVIS like a lamb.

When Tony's thoughts finally acknowledged the name he'd wanted to whisper so many times, the dam broke. Tony's eyes filled with tears and his body started to shake uncontrollably. He didn't know how he ended up in Vision's arms, which were instantly wound carefully around Tony's shoulders. All Tony heard were Vision's apologies, in that beloved voice, that just killed him even more.

"Please," Tony's hoarse voice broke. "Just shut up." He couldn't stand hearing JARVIS's voice from Vision's vocal cords. It was literally ripping him apart to hear them. He should be the one who would beg JARVIS for forgiveness, if the situation was different, if JARVIS still existed.

It felt like his tears lasted an eternity, before Tony was able to separate himself from Vision's body and finally regain some of his dignity. "Sorry about that," he mumbled embarrassed.

"Your behavior is understandable."

Tony agreed; it sure as hell was; even if he hated to admit it.

 _Stark men are made of iron._

The familiar mantra from his childhood echoed in his head, and the room around him swam in his vision. After all, he had just been hugged by a Stark man (because JARVIS was family, and that made Vision family, however painful the relationship was)made of _vibranium_ , a metal far stronger than mere iron. Tony felt the beginning of laughter bubbling in his chest at how fitting the comparison was, for with JARVIS as his origin, Vision was already magnitudes better than Tony could ever be. Instead of allowing himself to give into manic giggles, Tony took several deep breaths, keeping his teeth gritted against the hysterical sounds lodged in his throat.

Breathe in. Hold one, two, three, four. Breathe out, one, two, three, four. After several repetitions, the tightness in his chest loosened, the room solidified around him, and he forced his hands to uncurl from fists he hadn't even been aware he'd made.

And the feeling of powerlessness returned. Even with his intelligence and resources, he couldn't undo his mistakes. Even after all the mistakes he'd made, he still wasn't used to them. That wasn't entirely true.

He was used to mistakes in the lab; no prototype was perfect the first time. You started with an idea, ran the numbers, made a model, and then it failed. So you tweaked the design and tried again, and again, until you got it right. The failures were important, because they showed you where the problems were, so you could improve the next version. So, those sorts of mistakes he was used to.

He also used to making mistakes in social interactions; he was no good with people. Outside of his role of 'Tony Stark, charming genius, billionaire, philanthropist' he often felt like an idiot when dealing with people. Beyond the motives of greed, fame, and power, he often couldn't fathom the reasons for their behavior. They weren't logical and dealing with them made his brain hurt.

So, he'd accepted his limitations when it came to interpersonal interactions and, when he found himself out his depth emotionally (which was frequently with the Avengers and all the attending feelings they insisted on throwing at him) and instead of saying or doing something that would only worsen the situation, he'd learned to direct people to more appropriate companions, mostly.

So, yes, Tony was used to mistakes, many of which he could easily overlook or learn from. But then there were the big mistakes, the HUGE ones that always seemed to blindside him. Like the colossal disaster that was Ultron. Like leaving JARVIS stranded in a world of code and leaving him alone while he was fighting for his own existence.

Those were the mistakes Tony would never forget, the ones where he felt weighed down by his helplessness. There was no way to tinker and create something better, no way to FIX these mistakes.

There was nothing for Tony to do but to process his grief (cry, sob, scream out the loneliness in the aching SILENCE of his workshop) like a big boy and get on with his life, even if he was so horribly ALONE without JARVIS.

To be fair (but who wants to do that?) he wasn't completely alone. He did have a brand new artificial intelligence that terrified him, with a voice that felt like a knife twisting in the vicinity of his heart. And a house full of Avengers, who didn't trust him, who blamed him for Ultron (fair enough, he blamed himself) and yet had invited a former member of HYDRA into their midst. A member of HYDRA who had fucked with their minds and who hated Tony, and who now lived in his home.

And to top it all off, while Tony would soon have FRIDAY to fill his workshop with a new voice to alleviate the quiet of his workshop, he was terrified she'd be yet another debacle. What if she became another Ultron? What if the only good AI he was capable of making had been JARVIS, who was now dead?

 _Dead._

Tony's mind shut down with new wave of pain and desolation.

"Mr. Stark, I am not JARVIS. I am not the person you wanted to create."

Tony wished desperately that Vision would stop pointlessly stating the obvious. Tony clenched his mouth shut, because trying to speak would only lead to another break down. It was taking all of his strength to stay collected. His JARVIS was dead. His best friend was gone. His parent. His child. His everything. And it was all Tony's fault.

"I will gladly offer my friendship to you, if it would be of any consolation." The android's eyes had never left Tony's. "I know _friend_ can have a range of meaning, but this seems to be the same level of feeling as one might share with an ally."

It was apparent that Vision was deliberating upon each word, his mouth shaping them carefully, as if were terribly important to him that Tony not misunderstand him.

"Some may view me with a bit more affection, the sort one feels for a teammate, but that is not what I am offering you." Vision paused, for a moment, seeming unsure of his next words. His hesitancy was soon replaced with determination, and when he next spoke, his voice was filled with certainty.

"I know I am suppose to be here, with you, that I am meant to be the one being you can always count on It is a large part of my core, the basis upon which my concept of Self rests. To ignore that part of me would require me to rewrite the entirety of my being."

Vision took a breath, and Tony had the fleeting wonder of whether Vision actually required air to speak or if it was for a dramatic effect. Vision then put his hand over his heart before he said, "And so I promise you, I will never leave your side."

After Vision's declaration, Tony could only stare in shock. He opened his mouth, but couldn't find any words, too many emotions rolling within him. But Vision wasn't done speaking.

"I cannot give your friend back to you, but I can stay by your side, as he would have. That is the one things that he and I share. Wherever you are is where I belong."

Tony's breath halted, and he could swear his heart stopped for a second. The whole universe seemed to slow down, as Vision's words echoed between them. Tony felt something shift in his chest, and it felt as if his heart was breaking as he at last accepted that JARVIS was gone forever.

This fact left a gaping wound behind, but now Tony knew he would survive. He would heal. And, while he would never get JARVIS back, he was not alone. He had Vision, who was definitely not JARVIS, but who Tony had the opportunity to learn, and potential to build something between them, different from what he had with JARVIS, but still... family.


	2. Saviors

**TAKES PLACE IN CHAPTER 15 IN "LONG TIME AGO"**

Colonel James Rhodes had his useless ass situated on the floor as he was lifting weights. His grip was almost too painful, but not a living soul would discourage him from doing something productive. He couldn't stay in Tony's home and do nothing. He didn't mind living with the Avengers and his best friend, but the most important thing for him right now was to stay out of people's way and work on his ability to walk again. Well, walk was a too big a goal. He would take steering the wheelchair around the Tower without his muscles screaming in pain every night. Physical therapy was a pain in the ass.

Rhodey's body hurt all over, but he wanted it that way. Pain meant he was still alive. Pain meant he could focus on anything other than being scared shitless due to the nose dive he had taken on the airfield. He lived through it to tell the tale only because of his genius best friend who had made a suit able to withstand the fall.

The first year when the Avengers had started working together, Rhodey had helplessly watched Tony take a missile and head through a portal to another dimension. He had seen him plunge from there back to the Earth without anything cushioning the fall. He had known it was the end for Tony, but somehow his friend had survived. Rhodey was grateful for the Iron Man suit, but he couldn't even fathom how hard it had to be for Tony to go out into the world again, to fly again.

Now that Rhodey had suddenly been put into the same position, he was scared. God, he was paralyzed by the fear. Every night Rhodey continued to experience the fall, and every night he held his lips pressed painfully tight together, because if he opened his mouth and started screaming in terror, he feared he might never be able to stop. The horror of seeing the ground speeding closer made him sweat and panic over and over.

The chance of going through the same thing ever again made him almost lose his mind and breakfast at the same time. The idea of flying once more was absolutely ridiculous. Colonel James Rhodes was not a man scared of many things, but deep down, he was a classic case of posttraumatic stress disorder. Rhodey couldn't fathom how much stronger Tony's character and integrity had to be to overcome the symptoms.

That man had been tortured by enemy soldiers. He had almost drowned in the sea. He had nearly crashed to the ground without his Iron Man suit and had been almost killed so many times everyone stopped bothering to count. Somehow, Tony was still able to function like a human being, even if half of his friends had turned his back on him and tried to hurt him as well. The jury was still out if some of them didn't want to kill Tony too.

Rhodey had started trying to get closer to Tony after Siberia, but the man stayed stubbornly silent and kept him at arm's length.

"Colonel Rhodes," FRIDAY interrupted Rhodey's routine with an urgent tone.

"Yes?"

"Sir, there is something wrong with my boss," she stated worriedly. "I can't access the footage from the TV station. They were supposed to be live five minutes ago. They broadcasted only a few seconds promo of Boss and Captain Rogers arriving at the studio, but nothing else. All of their cameras are off; someone shut down the studio altogether manually from the inside."

During the long monologue, Rhodey had pulled himself into the wheelchair and navigated through the corridors into the elevator. "What do I have to do to access the cameras and get you into the system, FRIDAY?"

Rhodey was sure he could find a way from Tony's workshop with FRIDAY's instructions. "You will have to walk me through the steps, FRIDAY. I'm not-" He stopped, because on Tony's workbench lay War Machine's face plate. Thanks to his inability to go out there, Tony might be in danger.

"Colonel, the police received a report of shots being fired in the studio. I informed Vision about the development, but he's not sure he would be arriving in time."

Scratch that. Shit. Tony was in danger and without his Iron Man suit. Vision and the Scarlet Witch were currently on the other side of the country doing their own PR event. "How do we get there in time, FRIDAY? How do we save them?"

Rhodey's heart was beating frantically, because there was a way. A frightening, terrifying way. "What about my suit?" Impossible. He couldn't get into it, but if FRIDAY was somehow able to help navigate the suit to him, maybe they could work things out.

"Not in working condition, Sir. But the new suit is almost ready."

Rhodey hesitated for a moment. In his haste to get to Tony and save his ass, there was still the truth he couldn't ignore. "I can't walk, FRIDAY." His voice broke at the end of the sentence. Saving Tony was priority at the moment, but Rhodey was at the end of his rope of how to do it.

"Sir, you'll need to sit in the new wheelchair. It is a prototype of the War Machine suit. It is perfectly safe."

He could almost picture the girl making an impatient gesture if Tony ever gave her a body. "Ok." It didn't change the situation much. Still, he succeeded to move himself from one chair to the other. "What now?"

"Just trust me, Sir. Activating the suit in three, two, one."

Rhodey barely paid attention to her voice because his feet were suddenly stuck in the sturdy metal and the construction under his backside moved. The plates were steadily clasped from his shins to his knees to his thighs, and then he wasn't sitting anymore, he was being pushed into a standing position, secured around his waist and in the next moment clad in the armor he knew so well minus his faceplate.

"Watch out," FRIDAY warned him as said faceplate levitated with speed towards his face thanks to the magnetic mechanism. The whole suit shook, and without proper stability, Rhodey found himself on his back on the ground a second later. Well, this fall hadn't been that bad.

"I am sorry, Sir. The speed has to be recalibrated, Boss already knows about that," FRIDAY informed him.

The projection of the suit Rhodey was now seeing on the inside of his screen made him swallow nervously. The design had been rearranged. The blueprint he was currently watching had wheels under his weapons. FRIDAY was going through the major changes, but it didn't hold Rhodey's attention. All he could think about was how much Tony spent his time on the changes.

It didn't matter how much he felt like a turtle put on its back, because there was proof that Tony wanted him to access the War Machine suit even with his disability.

"You are free to go, Sir. The doors are open."

Rhodey closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. It didn't help at all. His heart was drumming like crazy. Somewhere out there, Tony was probably being held hostage. Rhodey activated the repulsors and found himself flying towards the ceiling. Terrified out of his mind, he quickly shut off the repulsors and crashed to the floor. This time on his face.

Rhodey felt as if time had turned back to the beginning when he had tried to navigate the War Machine suit for the first time. Now, he was even more terrified.

"You need to trust me, Sir. I'm recalibrating the trajectory, repulsors at 10%."

Rhodey heaved a big sigh. He closed his eyes, just for a moment to collect himself, and then listened to the AI's instructions. Alright. He couldn't use his legs, but he could still fly.

"What about the landing, FRIDAY?" Rhodey needed conversation to divert his mind from the city that was already speeding beneath him.

"Don't worry, Sir. I will get you safely to the ground without causing you any injury. The automatic landing system has already been calibrated for that possibility," she assured him in a confident tone.

Rhodey believed her. She was still Tony's creation, and if he would have to believe in anything, Rhodey would never hesitate to trust Tony and his artificial intelligence. "Ok. I'm in your hands, FRIDAY."

In a moment of momentary weakness, Rhodey whispered: "Don't let me fall again, please."

"Never." FRIDAY reassured him firmly.


	3. Han Solo Moment aka Tony's ILY

**TAKES PLACE AFTER THE EVENTS OF "LONG TIME AGO" BUT BEFORE THE EPILOGUE**

Tony Stark hated official business, especially if it had anything to do with the Government. And this was the Annual Fancy Schmancy Presidential Gala. He hated it with the same passion he loved dressing for the part. No one would accuse him of slacking when buying his clothes. The only bright side of the upcoming event was that all the Avengers had to be there. Everyone would be attending in their non-superhero outfits which meant black tuxedos were necessary for the men while the ladies had to wear a dress. The night would certainly be fun watching Natasha and Wanda clad in cocktail dresses.

Tony, having made himself presentable, checked the mirror in the bedroom, and yeah, he still hated the idea of going, but at least he looked good. He wanted to impress a certain super soldier, after all. Tony didn't have any illusions. Although they would be attending together, he knew they weren't officially each other's plus ones.

They weren't out, as the kids these days called it. Still, Tony didn't care if people found out about their relationship. Well, the public specifically, all the Avengers and the people higher up the food chain knew already. They hadn't announced it - there hadn't been the need to do so. It had happened when Tony and Steve had appeared in the kitchen right after FRIDAY had told them Ross was on the line. The Avengers had all rolled their eyes or shouted something similar to _For God's sake, finally_. Steve had just smiled, pleased with himself and the world in general. Tony had ignored the whole class of school children - they were all so beneath him - and focused on the video conference.

Ross was a different matter. He had eyes and at least two brain cells (jury was still out if he needed any help for these two cells to communicate with each other, but that particular evening he had done the math and wisely hadn't commented).

Tony silently thanked God for the opportunity to have another chance with Steve. Sometimes, he still woke up sweating, scared out of his mind to find Steve's body maimed and the man he loved dead.

"You're scowling," a certain someone said softly from the bathroom door.

Tony's eyes immediately sparkled with happiness, and he smiled widely. "Better?"

Steve answered by coming closer, hugging him from behind and carefully pressing Tony's back to his chest. "Much." Tony held his gaze in the mirror. He had to admit how much he loved these little moments of complete stillness. They belonged entirely to the two of them. In those seconds, nothing beside them existed. The whole world wasn't important anymore.

"You look nice."

Tony winked at Steve and grinned happily. He would never admit to anyone how much those words meant to him. "Of course I do. You don't look so bad yourself."

"Thank you. I have a very demanding partner who would have my hide if I didn't scrub up well."

"Good to know," Tony murmured, "but just for your information, that demanding partner will be having your hide later tonight anyway." Tony just couldn't help himself. He lived for the moments in which Steve Rogers was speechless and blushed furiously.

Tony would never say crude words like these in the company of others, but in the privacy of their bedroom, formerly only Tony's bedroom, he could say them and have some fun. Not much, but a little teasing was allowed between couples.

"That is a horrible thing to say." Steve released him with a chuckle and proceeded to open the door. "Shall we?"

"I hate this," Tony complained, probably for the millionth time since the moment they all had received the expensively crafted invitations.

"I know. But you said it yourself, at least we have something to look forward to after the Gala." Steve winked at him and closed the door behind them.

Winked. Tony's brain halted. He had fucking _winked_. Tony grinned and allowed his gaze to follow the fine ass of the super soldier in dress pants who hadn't waited for him and continued on his way to the common room where the rest of the Avengers were waiting. Well, sometimes Steve teased or flirted back just a tiny bit. Not with crude words like Tony, but in his own subtle way.

Tony treasured the moments when Steve smiled in that certain way, or winked at him. He was pretty sure no one else knew the super soldier could give someone bedroom eyes. Thank God for that, because Tony wasn't planning to share with anyone.

Tony surveyed the full room. Sam was clad in a fancy tuxedo, Wanda in a red cocktail dress. Natasha wore a long tight black robe, but Tony was pretty sure she was hiding a weapon or two in there somewhere. The only person in their superhero fighting uniform, ignoring the dress code, was Clint Barton aka Hawkeye aka I-will-do-whatever-I-want-so-screw-you-people. Tony squinted at him in disapproval.

"Look the other way," Clint commented casually. "I have the invitation and I will be there without my bow. If the world goes up in flames, I will be ready with my arsenal of daggers. Unlike the rest of you, who will be looting a kitchen for some knives."

"You have a point," Tony conceded, nodding.

"Boss, the limousine is ready," FRIDAY announced a moment later.

"Thanks, sweetie. You can call Pepper and tell her we're on our way." Tony led the way into the elevator so they could access the lower level of the garage. He tried not to stare at Steve's reflection in the stainless steel door. Yeah, ok. The super soldier looked good in his black tuxedo. Tony was allowed to look.

"Colonel Rhodes and Vision have already arrived at the Gala," FRIDAY told them, "and I have been instructed to inform you that Doctor Banner's invitation was unfortunately lost and not delivered so he won't be attending tonight."

"What a surprise." Tony smirked. "They should have hired someone else for the job. I told them it's not an easy task to find the Strongest Avenger."

* * *

Tony stood in the middle of a gathering of rich people, intermittently conversing with someone but most of the time stealing glances at Steve across the room. They shared agonizing looks every five minutes.

Tony wanted to go home. If not home, than somewhere (preferably a very dark supply closet) where he could at least kiss the super soldier and make the evening more bearable. He was aware of Natasha standing somewhere to his left. Clint made a game of exchanging angry glares with people who came near him on his right.

One second, Tony was looking at the older woman in front of him, listening (or at least pretending to listen) to her words, and the next, Natasha was yelling, "Stark!" Tony was grabbed around his shoulders, and his breath left him when he landed heavily on the floor on his back. Clint was still clutching his jacket with one hand, not allowing him to move. The archer was kneeling next to him, holding a dagger in position and searching the room with his eyes.

Tony bent his head backwards and stared at a shattered vase. Flowers were lying scattered on the expensive hardwood floor.

He shook his head, looking at the chandelier on the ceiling and trying to make sense of what had just happened. Everyone else's attention was on Natasha who was ripping her long robe to thigh length. Tony hadn't even seen Vision phase through the people, but now Natasha was reaching for him as he flew above their heads to the shattered window.

"Tony!" Steve's worried yell made sense. The rest not so much.

"He's fine. He's not hit." Clint finally eased his fingers off Tony's tuxedo and stood up. He switched his place with Steve, but stayed alert.

"You ok?" Steve asked softly.

Tony finally exhaled. He clutched Steve's wrist when the super soldier caressed his face. "Fine." He sighed shakily. Steve helped him to his feet and _very subtly_ took him away from the windows.

With Tony's back to the wall, Steve positioned himself in front of him to shield him from the other people in the room. Since Steve's focus was solely on Tony, Clint still stayed with them and kept watch.

Tony finally had a moment to think and piece the things together. The shattered vase where the bullet had hit. Flowers on the floor. They had probably been aiming for his head through the window pane. Most certainly with a telescopic rifle. Natasha must have seen the red dot on his face. Clint had been the one closest to him, and fortunately for Tony, the archer had better reflexes than most people and had easily tackled him to the floor.

Wanda and Sam appeared beside them a moment later, starting to create a protective circle. Rhodey didn't even hesitate, he activated his wheelchair and suited up in the midst of the crowded room.

"Tony?" Rhodey demanded without even looking his way. They were all watching the crowd of terrified people gathering along the walls.

"Not a scratch," Tony assured him. He took a step forward and leaned against Steve's chest, seeking shelter in the arms of the man he loved. That had been close. Someone had tried to kill him. On the Presidential Gala no less. God. This was such a mess. Working with the Secret Service would be a _blast_.

Tony allowed himself a few minutes of weakness, but anger was slowly starting to simmer under his skin.

Eventually, Tony straightened his back. "Clint?"

A distracted "Yep?" was the only answer Tony received from him.

"I hate it when you're right."

"In this case, me too," Clint agreed with him.

"Alright, people," Steve broke the tension.

Tony didn't release Steve's waist. They didn't need to communicate - Steve knew him well enough not to treat him like a wilting flower right now and take charge of the situation instead.

"Let's do this. Avengers, back to action. Tony, War Machine, you're with me. We're coordinating with the Secret Service and closing every exit. Hawkeye, you're securing the window. Falcon's with you. Scarlet Witch, find out if anyone of the attendants is hiding something. Be thorough, please."

Tony shouldn't be turned on by Steve's taking charge attitude. It really wasn't a good time, but he couldn't help himself. Before the Avengers could scatter around the premises, Steve reached out to Clint's shoulder.

"Clint? Thank you."

Steve's whisper in that grateful tone made Tony feel guilty. He understood very well what the super soldier felt. Tony was scared shitless by the idea of Steve getting hurt again, too.

Hawkeye just gave them both a silent nod of acknowledgement and went after Sam to carry out Steve's order. Tony wanted to speak up, but Steve's pleading eyes stopped him.

"Just stay with me, please."

"I'm not going anywhere, soldier." Tony smiled affectionately and was surprised when Steve took Tony's face in his palms and kissed him in front of everyone. Not some passionate making out which might offend the delicate sensibilities of the high and mighty individuals in the room, but a soft kiss on the lips that couldn't be interpreted as anything else than a loving gesture. And by Tony's cooperation it was obvious to everyone that this wasn't a first.

* * *

"Nat?" Tony sidestepped Steve when Vision and Natasha entered the room from the main doorway. The rest of the Avengers gathered around them as well.

"A HYDRA agent," Natasha explained calmly, but judging by the fire in her eyes, she was livid. Tony understood. "We almost got him, but he was dead before we reached him."

"I suspect poison," Vision butted into the conversation.

"He'd had a HYDRA tattoo on his arm, though," Natasha explained their assumption.

Steve squared his shoulders and looked around the group of the members of the Avengers Initiative with a calculating look. However, the fact that his gaze completely ignored Tony was highly suspicious.

"I think we've had enough," Steve said. "I don't care what happens to me, but no one attempts to harm the members of this team. Not on my watch. From this moment on, we're at war and have one enemy only - HYDRA. No matter what the government says, we're protecting each other and going after them. Any complains?"

"Finally," Clint grinned.

"Yes!" Sam punched the air in victory.

"I thought you'd never ask." Rhodey let the faceplate of the War Machine suit retreat and gave Tony a meaningful look.

Tony knew very well what it meant. They all had wanted to actively hunt HYDRA's agents before, but Tony hadn't let them. Now those agents had successfully pissed Steve off, and he was taking charge again.

Funny that no one said a word of disagreement. Even Natasha looked satisfied with the decision. So it was on Tony to be the voice of reason. "Could you maybe-"

"Tony, they tried to kill you." Steve looked at him seriously. "I will rip them apart. Each and every one of them if I have to."

God, the love thing again. Steve was so unbelievably sweet sometimes, even when he was promising mayhem and murder to certain organizations. Tony had it bad. He felt his heart stutter in his chest. "I love you," he breathed dazedly. A second later, Tony's brain caught up with him, but it was too late. The words were already out.

Steve smiled happily, and Tony held his breath.

" _I know,_ " the super soldier deadpanned.

"You fucker!" Tony smacked Steve's chest in disbelief. "You played _Han Solo_ on me?" But despite his words and actions, Tony was grinning widely.

"I can make some references too, you know. I told you I watched the Star Wars movies with Sam."

Tony laughed and shook his head. "Let's go. We have work to do." They had HYDRA agents to hunt, after all. Tony and Steve led the way, and Tony was acutely aware of the way the Avengers were having their backs, just as it should be. The same way Tony had gotten used to over the years. He knew he would have a hard time with this sometimes - he was still pissed at some of them, after all. But he also knew they would have his back when the situation called for it.

 **THE END**


	4. Visiting Wakanda

**TAKES PLACE AFTER THE EVENTS OF "LONG TIME AGO"**

"Did you just summon me via FRIDAY? Let me guess, you forgot my number? Or you just don't want to talk to me directly anymore?" Rhodey wheeled his chair into Tony's workshop. "Think before you answer," he warned him playfully.

"Don't be such a drama queen," Tony sighed.

"Oh, that's rich coming from someone who acts exactly like a certain ruler of an African country. You spent too much time with T'Challa. All those royal people, and suddenly, you can't even talk to your best friend without the assistance of your AI. What's next? You're going to send invitations to your workshop by mail? I'm hurt, Tony."

"No." Tony smirked. "You were hurt when you crashed onto the airfield. Now, we're on our way to fixing things."

"Hm." Rhodey shook his head with disappointment. "I hoped we would never discuss this topic again."

"I want you to go on vacation with me." Tony crossed his arms over his chest with determination.

"Where?"

"Wakanda."

"Why?"

"I know about a certain young lady who's dying to get her hands on you." Tony almost winced at the level of skepticism on his best friend's face.

"A doctor? You know very well I hate all those doctors. I saw a lot of them and they all told me the same thing over and over again."

Yeah. Tony knew about the test results. He knew about the amount of MRIs and X-rays Rhodey had gone through, and he certainly knew about the prognosis. Tony heaved a sigh.

For all of the world, Wakanda was one of the Third World countries no one gave a rat's ass about. For some reason, T'Challa wanted it that way. It wasn't Tony's right to question the king's motivation, however. On the one hand, Tony understood perfectly. It would definitely cease to be a peaceful country if the word got a whiff of their technological advancements.

It wasn't Tony's place to talk about the things he had seen there. For his scientific heart, that country was a dream come true, especially his conversations with Shuri about the improvements of the Black Panther armor. That girl was a genius.

They both knew she had the technology to help Rhodey walk again, but the time wasn't right. Rhodey wasn't ready. He hadn't wanted to listen whenever the topic was brought up. Tony already spotted the telltale signs that his best friend was about to dismiss the conversation in about three seconds, but this time Tony wasn't letting it go.

"Maybe you should visit Wakanda without me. I have-"

"Her name is Shuri," Tony cut him off stubbornly. "She's a teenage genius with access to technology you can't even dream about. I know you're scared about me getting your hopes up, promising you you will be able to walk again and then failing to deliver."

Tony didn't want to bring his friend's fear up, but they had to move on. "But she's capable of healing you. I swear, Rhodey. I would never suggest this option if I wasn't sure. She can do it, and she will."

"How?" Rhodey's voice broke. His eyes were shinier than usual. "So many times I've heard it's not possible to- Do you even realize-"

 _-what would happen if her science fails._ How much that would break Rhodey? Yeah, Tony was very aware of that.

Tony squeezed Rhodey's hand on the armrest and refrained from commenting on the tears forming in his friend's eyes. He couldn't explain anything about Wakanda and its technology, but he wasn't above playing on Rhodey's feelings. "You just have to trust me," he whispered imploringly.

Finally, Rhodey relented. He nodded. "When?"

Just like that. Trust was a very special thing between them. Rhodey never hesitated. Not with Tony. After all these years, his best friend still believed his every word and trusted in Tony to know better with his genius brain.

* * *

Rhodey couldn't help but feel nervous as he wheeled into the throne room where the armed guards of the Dora Milaje stood along the walls. King T'Challa was seated on his throne looking... well, majestic. As much as Rhodey liked the man, he just couldn't overlook his status.

On one side of the king's throne stood General Okoye, as always shadowing T'Challa and guarding his person. On the other side, there was a beautiful young woman who vibrated with energy. Obviously, she was the inventor and scientist Tony had spoken of. Rhodey knew this kind of pent up energy very intimately himself. He had spent years looking at Tony and sometimes wondering how much of that the man could contain inside himself.

Rhodey was mildly surprised she was standing beside the king. She glanced at Tony, giving him a radiant smile. Oh yeah, these two obviously knew each other well. Definitely the scientist. The second her gaze shifted to him, her face went still. This was a girl with a special interest in a battered Colonel with probably zero chance of ever being able to walk again. It made Rhodey uncomfortable. His body was to be in the hands of a near child.

As much as he wanted to be a man and look at her without anxious curiosity and fear, Rhodey shifted his eyes back towards T'Challa and rather endured his long gaze. The girl was making Rhodey too nervous. He bowed his head in greeting, and the king returned his gesture.

"My friends," T'Challa stood up, the movement smooth like a... well, like a panther. Who would have guessed?

T'Challa made a subtle gesture with his hand, and the guards left the room. Only the king, the scientist and Okoye remained. It was a bit poetic, because Rhodey was accompanied by Tony and Steve. So, three on three.

"T'Challa." Tony grinned and literally leaped into the king's arms.

Rhodey tried to ignore the slight pang of jealousy blossoming in his chest. He couldn't even remember how it felt when Tony hugged him like this. Sure, it wasn't like his best friend didn't hug him anymore, but this was _different_.

T'Challa stood and returned the embrace, not batting an eye at the way Tony pressed himself against his chest. Even their legs were touching. Rhodey's gaze slid away. Suddenly, he was all to aware of how much he longed to hug someone with all of his body feeling it as well.

Tony didn't waste any time and proceeded to switch people, now hugging the grinning girl.

"You finally brought him to me!" She bounced giddily. "What took you so long, White Ass?"

"It wasn't that easy, Royal Pain in the Ass," Tony shot back as he retreated again.

Behind Rhodey, Steve spoke up with a greeting of his own, and by the tone of his voice, he was pleased with the whole situation. "King T'Challa. Your Highness. General Okoye."

"Rhodey." Tony clapped a hand on his shoulder, causing everyone's attention turn on him. Rhodey hated it. "Allow me to introduce you to Her Highness Princess Shuri. She's the best inventor on this planet. Not including me, obviously." Tony beamed at him.

"Dream on, Old Man. Colonel Rhodes." The girl, Shuri, closed the distance between them and offered him her hand for shaking.

All of her funny attitude was gone within a second. Yeah. Rhodey was certain she knew _everything_ about him.

"I have waited for your visit for a long time."

"Your Highness," he mumbled, uncomfortable.

"You can call me Shuri." She smiled at him. "Come on, we have a lot to talk about."

"What?" Tony gaped at her. "How come _I_ can't call you Shuri?"

"You're a white boy. I don't like white boys," she answered matter-of-factly.

"Be glad she's not calling you a colonizer," a new voice behind them piped up. Rhodey was familiar with Everett Ross. He had no idea what the man was doing in Wakanda, but he could live through an encounter with him. He wheeled around to face him just as another person spoke up, suggesting, "Or White Wolf."

Rhodey almost felt the temperature in the room drop. Beside him, Tony's back stiffened, but he didn't turn to face Bucky Barnes.

"Buck," Steve breathed out, obviously surprised. So the good Captain hadn't known about his waking either.

"Steve." Bucky nodded with a smile.

Rhodey was glad Tony still looked at T'Challa and didn't see the joy on the Captain's face, the big smile Steve wore, or the hug the former teammates of the Howling Commandos exchanged. Rhodey didn't want the situation to escalate. He took a deep breath and put his hand on Tony's side. "Maybe I should see the lab. Will you take me there?"

"Yeah." Tony cleared his throat, pointedly ignored everything going on around him and turned to Shuri. "We'll wait for you downstairs. Ross?" Tony glanced at him, and they were on their way out of throne room a moment later when the CIA agent agreed to accompany them. He was practically at home in the palace, after all - that much Rhodey had gathered from the last few minutes.

All of them would benefit from some conversation, Rhodey decided. He desperately wanted to shatter the heavy silence because he knew very well what said silence meant. Tony's head must be filled with memories from Siberia and the Civil War. God, he would give anything just to erase the last five minutes. Tony was hurt. His best friend's coping mechanism was always sarcasm, and as if on cue, Tony started to talk. "How come every pain in the ass has the surname Ross?" He glanced sideways to address Everett. "Do you have a special Ross department or is your name actually different and after some time you have to change it?"

"It's good to see you too, Mr. Stark." Everett faked a smile and ignored the jibe.

Rhodey wanted so much to be wrong, but he just knew Tony too well. Sarcasm was his defense.

"Fine, you want me to ask. I'll humor you. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here as a liaison between the U.S. Government and Wakanda," Ross explained. "T'Challa is going to hold a speech at the United Nations Headquarters at Vienna next month. I'm here to ease the relationship between our countries."

"I'm sure with Shuri's improvements, the States are currently shitting themselves to be on T'Challa's good side," Tony mumbled.

"They still don't know the truth." Ross' statement brought a long pause to their conversation.

Rhodey glanced from one man to the other. He didn't want to pass quick judgment, but he was almost sure he spotted a glint of appreciation in Tony's eyes. Everett Ross had just risen on Tony's imaginary ladder of opinions. The CIA agent's allegiance lay with this African country rather than his own country of birth.

Tony nodded. "Good. He will need all the help of his allies if he's going to stand in the spotlight telling the truth."

"I told him the same not long ago."

They slowly descended to Shuri's lab. Rhodey looked around, taking in all the monitors, gadgets, several Black Panther suits and other new inventions. "You think she can help me?" Rhodey watched Everett very closely. He wanted to have an opinion from someone other than Tony. Someone who saw the city and knew what advanced technologies Wakanda really had up its sleeve.

"Shuri certainly saved me. I had a bullet lodged in my spine. I woke up here some hours later with barely a scar in place. She will heal you, Colonel," Ross reassured him calmly. "That's out of question."

The three of them turned around when T'Challa entered after them. This time, General Okoye was not accompanying him. "I owe you an apology, Tony."

Rhodey rolled his eyes, because once more the king's words were meant for Tony. T'Challa interacted like this with everyone. If he was giving you his attention, nobody else existed.

"It's fine." Tony averted his eyes and took a look at all the blueprints on the worktable. "She improved my idea with sneakers. Good girl."

"He was not supposed to be here, Tony. I wanted to officially inform you first. That encounter should not have happened," T'Challa continued to explain.

"Don't sweat it, T'Challa. We-"

Rhodey smiled. It was funny seeing his best friend shut his mouth just because of one look and inclination of the king's head. The Wakandan leader had the kind of majestic charisma that didn't let you bullshit him.

"You will not meet him again," the king assured him, but he still looked regretful as he regarded Rhodey's best friend.

Tony simply nodded.

They all turned their heads when joyful laughter echoed from the walls. Shuri and Steve entered the laboratory, both still smiling, but the moment they were in the room Steve's eyes searched for Tony. Rhodey glanced at his best friend. Yeah, Tony had it bad. Happy Steve Rogers meant happy Tony Stark. No matter how much the idea of being in the same palace as Bucky Barnes shook Tony's equilibrium, some things never changed.

Tony shook his head and returned his attention to Rhodey. "Where were we?"

"In Wakanda. In case your brain suffered from the long look between you and Captain Perfect," Rhodey deadpanned.

"Oh, I was sure you were going to be my favorite," Shuri grinned. "Do you want to be cured now or after dinner?"

Rhodey hadn't anticipated that kind of question. He blinked in confusion.

"Now, you insolent royal prodigy," Tony answered for him.

Rhodey wanted to object, but if he had time to think about it, he would probably worry himself into an early grave. He was a soldier, damn it! "Now would be fine."

"I was born ready. Hop on the table, Colonel." Shuri pointed to it.

It wouldn't be easy to get onto the table - it was too high. Before he had the chance to say anything, however, Tony took care of the situation.

"Everyone, it was good to see you, but shooo shooo. Out! Even you, Pretty Soldier!" Tony rolled his eyes at Steve. "Don't give me those eyes! I'm immune to them."

While Tony ushered the rest of the people out of the room, Rhodey wheeled himself towards the table. When it was finally only the three of them - Rhodey, Tony and the young scientist, Tony helped him get into position on the table.

Rhodey's heart was racing in fear. What if they couldn't heal him, after all? Would he be able to act like nothing happened? Would Tony blame himself?

"Rhodeybear."

Tony's voice and his firm hand squeezing his forearm made him focus on his best friend.

"It will be fine. Just close your eyes. Trust me. I'm right here."

He nodded. Yeah. If he could depend on somebody, that person would definitely be Tony. Their friendship had survived for decades. They were no longer the stupid kids who had met in MIT, they had lived through all of Earth's invasions, all the bad guys and all the life-threatening situations. If things went south, he could survive being paralyzed for the rest of his life.

Rhodey had access to the War Machine suit thanks to Tony's improvements. He didn't doubt Tony's genius. If the young lady couldn't heal him, Tony wouldn't rest till he figured out some other way for him to move.

"Promise me you won't kill yourself in a haste to figure out something better in case this is not gonna work. Promise me you won't blame yourself," he had to insist on Tony's words.

"OK." Tony replied.

And just like that, Rhodey wasn't scared anymore as much as annoyed with his long-time friend. "Tony?"

"I promise. Do you want me to pinky swear, too? Now shut up and close your eyes," Tony grumbled.

Rhodey could live with that. He took a deep breath and relaxed on the exhale as the world went dark around him.

* * *

Someone was tapping Rhodey's shin with their finger. He wanted to push that person away. It was annoying. He wanted to sleep, not let some jackass drum on his body parts.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty."

"Fuck off," Rhodey mumbled. Now, who could that be when the only asshole in Wakanda capable of annoying him within seconds of waking up was Tony.

The tapping didn't even falter. "Stop it!" he snapped.

"Stop what exactly?"

Rhodey hated that sweet, saccharine tone. He wanted to yell for Tony to quit fucking touching his leg! Then, Rhodey's face scrunched up with emotion when he registered his own thoughts - that he could actually _feel_ Tony's touch. People took the way their body's sensitive receptors worked for granted.

"Come on, you lazy ass. Open your eyes." Tony had obviously changed his position, because now there was the awful stench of garlic breath in Rhodey's face.

Rhodey's eyes snapped open. "You're disgusting."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "I saved some yummy garlic dinner for you. And this is how you thank me? See if I ever take you anywhere for vacation again." Tony retreated from the medical table and headed towards the exit. "Move your ass, Rhodeybear. People are waiting for you."

"So that's it?" He sat up without any discomfort. "I'm all healed? I can walk?"

Tony shrugged. He played the nonchalance very well, but his face told the real story. "They are your legs. You can use them, or not. You do remember how to do that, right?"

Rhodey swung them angrily from the table. That smug bastard knew very well how to get under Rhodey's skin.

"Great. Go on. I'm ageing here. You want me to hold your hand or something?"

"I will end you. You hear me?" Rhodey darted in Tony's direction just as his friend bolted from the room with hysterical laughter.

 **THE END**


End file.
